Boat propulsion.



G. GAYS.

BOAT PROPULSION.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1 190B.

Patented May 18, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT l.

G. GAYS.

BOAT PROPULSION. 4 APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 16, 1908.

Patented May 18, 1909.

2.8HEETS-SHEET 2.

, ,wzsheabves W To all who m t'tmwy camera:

Be it that I, Grusnrrn GAYS, a subject of the King of Italy, who have declared my intention of becoming a citizen of the i United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the 7 county of Los Angel-es and State of California, have invented new and useful Im rovements in Boat Propulsion, of which t e following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in boat propulsion; and has for its object to provide lmproved means for propelling marine vessels of various types, which shall be superiorin point of positiveness in operation, economy of power, speed attainment, stability and general'efficiency and serviceability.

A particular object of theinvention con-L sists lnthe provision of means for boat propulsion which operate in a ath or paths substantially longitudinal of t. e hull of the boat or vessel, in counter-distinction from lateral rotary paddles and stern paddles or propellers. 1

The invention consists in the novel provision, construction, combination, association and relative arrangement of parts, memham and features, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawings, and finally pointed out in claims.

In the drawings:-Figure 1 is a sectional plan view, taken u on the line 1*1, Fig. 2,

I and looking in the irection of the appended arrows of a portion of the hull of a vessel provided with improvements in boat propulsion constituting the invention; parts being broken away for clearness of illustration;

'Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same, taken upon the line 22, Fig. 1

and looking in the direction of the appended arrows; and, Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmenand sectional view, of a portion of the showin in Fig,- 1, means being included for control certainelements of the invention; in: revere 0f operation of the means for propulsion.

@orre'sponding parts in all the figures are denoted y the same reference character.

Referring with particularity to the drawings; the-improved pro ulsion means A, comprising' preferably, ass own in the drawings,

two members or units a and barra ed at either side of the longitudinal medial ine of thvehi'iil or body c' of the vessel whichis-shown fragmentarily in the several views of the drawing, comprises, in e'aohs member or unit,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 16, 1908. Serial No. 488,817.

bers,

Patented my 18, 1969'.

erse, in each of said members or units, atlrs of travel including inboard and out rd faces, in the former of which said buckets are inoperative, and in the latter of which said buckets are applied to the water surrounding the vessel. 'lhe paddles or buckets. an bucket carrier of each member or unit are arran ed and operate in a substantially horizonta plane or path of travel; both such planes or paths of travel being preferably in the same transverse and horizontal plane ofthe vessel. Each of the members or units a and b is operatively mounted in a separate com artment or chamber, 4 and 5, res e15-- tiv y, formed each at one side of the h 'l or body of the vessel and closed inwardly by wall or partition, 6 and 7, respectively; said chambers 4 and 5 communicating laterally with the surrounding water; each of said chambers having forwardly and rearwardly curved forward and rear walls, 8 and 9, respectively, which walls, and the res ctive wall 6 or'7, the buckets B, freely r in their traverse of the respective chamber 4 The driving means C may comprise a drive shaft 10 directly geared in connection with the member a and indirectly geared in connection with the member b-by atrans-- verse shaft 11. The driving means C- serve to operate both of the members or units a and 1) simultaneously; but of course, 921* though not shown, said members may be disconnected for independent" operatiom,. as for instance, to assist insteeriiig the vessel; and the said members may be rcw'ased in operation.

As the members or units a" or. b are duplicates in the revision, construction, and combination 0' parts, members and: features, I will 'roceed to describe oneofsaid mem as to the details ofthe last men-- tioned particulars. A articular descrip== tion, tothat end, is as awar -The bucket carrier D comprises an upper link-eonveyer 12 and a lower link-conveyor I3, each: at saidconveyers being supported in spaced hurt:-

. journaled at top and bottom in the walls of the chamber 5. The buckets or paddles B, preferably comprise dished disks 18, which are pivotally connected with bolts of the link conveyers 12 and 13 by short arms 19 vprovided with bored heads 20 which surround a shaft or red 21 passing through both of the conveyors and constituting, preferably, a link-pin for two of the links 22, of said conveyor; said shafts or rods 21 with their respective buckets being profperly spaced apart for accommodation 0 the buckets in their pivotal play as hereinafter described. The heads 20 surround the shaft or rod 21 exteriorly or laterally of the con- Veyers, said shaft or rod being extended to that end, and further extended, at each end portion, to accommodate a roller 23 such a roller being provided at each end portion of each shaft or rod 21, for the purpose hereinafter set forth. If desired, other rollers 23 may be provided on projected end portions of link-pins 24 between the shafts or rods 21. The rollers 23 serve to maintain the conveyers-with the paddles or buckets in proper -course of travel, traversing paths between upper, inner and outer guides 25 and 26, respectively, and lower, mner and outer guides, 27 and 28, respectively. Said guides are substantially unbroken, excepting as hereinafter provided for, in connection with the provision of the bucket-trip means E and F; and said guides project vertically from an upper cap-plate and a lower cap-plate, 29 and 30, respectively; which cap-plates ire connected with the walls of the cham- Upon the ino erative movement of the buckets or pad les 'during the innermost phase of their travel, it is desirable they shall feather or present each a side edge, as 31, to the water within the chamber 5; and to bring the buckets into this feathering position and again out of the same when they are to be represented in angular, projection for operative pressure upon the water exteriorly of the chamber 5, and to maintain said buckets in the latter position, the trip means E and F are :espectively provided, together with bucket members g which cofiperate with said trip members and with the upper guides 25 and 26. Said bucket members, one of which is provided for each of the buckets, comprises a rigid arm 32 constitutmg an extension of one of the arms 19, referably? the upper one of the bucket, an extending at an angle of substantially 90 rearwardly of the bucket. Said arm is provided at its outer end with a lateral bearing 33 carrying a roller 34, which roller is admitted freely between the guides 25 and 26.

The trip-means E arranged at the rearward end of the phase of travel of the buck-- ets comprises a guide 35 projecting inwardl at an acute angle from the guide 25, in whic an opening 36 is formed sufficient to accommodate the rollers 34; the guide 25, at the forward'limit of said opening 36 being deflected inwardly and around the shaft 17, as at 37, and thence forwardly, as at 38, parallel and within, and separated by a substantial space from the remaining portion of the guide 25. The major portion of the guide 25, rearwardly of the opening 36, extends in a curvature rearwardly of the shaft 17, and substantially spaced from the guide portions 37 and 38, and within the curved end po'rtion'of the guide 26.

The trip-means F comprise an angular inwardly bent pivoted dog 39 normally closing the space between one end of a supple mental curved guide 40 and curved forward end portions of the guide 25; said dog being maintained in such position by spring 41 fixed to the guide 25 and bearing upon the dog 39. Said dog is arranged outwardly of and adjacent to the'shaft 16; and at the point where the buckets B begin to move rearwardly in their outer phase of travel. The supplemental guide 40 occupies but a small portion of the curvature at the'forward end of the path-of travel of the buckets B, being arranged within and sli htly s aced from the guide 25, which, with t e gui e 26, curve from the inner to the outer portion of the path of travel of the buckets, in conformity with their curvature rearward of the shaft 17. The guide 25 is interru ted at the pivotal point 42 of the dog 39, orming an opening 43 between the 'curved portion of said guide and the longitudinal straight portion of said guide; and at the other extremity of said opening said guide 25 is inwardly deflected, as at 44, and directed around the shaft 16 to join the guide portion 38, which latter extends longitudinally path of travel of the buckets. The s ace etween the supplemental guide 40 an the guide portion 44' is sufficient to permit the Within thetraverse of the rollers 34 upon the arms 32;

but the angular dog 39 normally projects into the path of said rollers 34 as they leave said space. The an ular dog 39, it will be noted, is arranged su stantially at the point where the buckets B, enter the straight rearward path of their travehfrom the curved forward end of their ath of travel; and the-{f guide 35 is arrange point where the buckets B- leave said straight substantially at the j path or rearward travel and enter the rearward curved portion of their path of travel.

Combined with the do 39 is adeflector 45, movably mounted so t at it may be low-.-

cred and engaged at one edge portion, as at 46, with the dog 39, adjacent to the pivotal point '42 thereof, in position to extend obliquely outwardly substantially to the guide 26; and so that said deflector may be raised upwardly into a chamber 47 which the )per cap-plate 29 is formed to include. e deflect-or 45 is swung durin the outward movement against thesprmg 41, of the dog 39, and is carried by a rod 48 which has vertical lay through the upper portion of the chamber 47 and is connected with a lever arm 49 loosely pivotally connected, as at 50, with a regulating arm 51, controlling the position of said deflector.

Inner and outer walls, 52 and 53, respec ll IF I tivcly, joined at their end portions and extending lon itudinally of the chamber 5, are arranged within the path of travel of the convcyers 12 and 13 and the paths of travel of the sprocket wheels 14 and 15; 54 and 55 designating respectively the connecting end portions of said walls which are otherwise merged into the guide and guide portion 38, Said walls 52 and 53 extend vertically between theupper and lower ca -plates and constitute a barrier betweent e outward and inward portions of the the conveyers and buckets.

The operation, method of use, and advantages of the improvements in boat propulsion, constituting the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and the following statement:The two members or units a and b are simultaneously propelled or actuated so as to cause the buckets to move rearward-1y in their outer phase of travel as designated by the arrows in Fig. 1. The buckets are guided and carried rearwardl by the conveyers 12 and 13 and the rol ers 23 and 34 which traverse the guides 25 and 26; the arms 32 and said rollers sustaining the buckets in direct lateral projection to obtain the operative purchase upon the water. Adjacent to the rearward end of the rearward phase of travel of the buckets, the arms 32 are depressed by the pressure of the water upon the buckets, and the rollers 34 pass through the opening 36 and traverse the guide and the guide portion 37, allowing the buckets to be inclined rearwardly upon their pivotal supports. The rollers 34 follow the guide portion 37 onto the guide portion 38 and the guide portion 38 is so far spaced from the inner portion of the guide 25 that the arms 32 are accommodatedin rectangular inward projection with the disks 18 lying parallel with the conveyors during the forward phase of travel of the buckets, the rollers 34 bearing against the guide portion 38. At the termination of said forward movement, the rollers 34 engage with the suppiemental curved guide 40 and are led path of travel of thereby to the pivoted dog 39, the angularity of which temporarily retards the rollers 40- forcing the disks 18 into outward projection. When the buckets are carried around the curved forward portion of' their travel, the rollers 23 thus preceding the roll-' ers 34, said rollers 34, under traction, force outwardly the dog 39 against the spring 41, and pass said dog, riding over the guide portion 44, the rollers 23 and 34 entering the straight space between the guides 25 and 26, upon their rearward travel. In the reverse actuation of either of the members a and b, exactly the reverse of the steps last described transpires, with the exception that the deflector is forced -downwardly by the controlling arm 51 so thatit is engaged with the dog 39; and as the rollers 34, on' the forward outward phase of the travel of the buckets, engage with said deflector they are moved inwardly against the dog 39 which latter is finally swung outwardly by the rollers or roller 34, swinging the deflector 45 inwardly and allowing the rollers, or roller 23, to pass said deflector, which again moves outwardly as the dog 39 reassumes its normal position.

The operation of both of the members a and b is the same, although their normal directions of movement are opposite.

The boat propulsion means constituting the invention serve to give the boat a pro elling actuation on both sides and throu a long range of activity, tending to utilize ully and effectually the power applied thereto and making for high speed attamment, positiveness of operation, and stability in the procedure of the vessel.

Having thus described my invention I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. Improved means for propelling vessels, comprising an endless conveyor disposed in part for travel in a straight line, a plurality of buckets pivotally connected with said conveyer, said conveyer being carried by the vessel in such manner that said buckets project laterally from the vessel -in the movement of the conveyer in a straight line,

means for actuating the conveyer, and tripmeans at each end of the straight line of travel of said conveyor for respectively swingingsaid buckets into and out of lateral projection from said conveyer.

2. Improved means for propelling vessels, comprising an endless conveyer mounted in a compartment in the hull of a vessel, opening laterally of the hull and disposed in art for travel in a straight line, a plurality of uckets pivotally connected with said conveyer, means for actuating said conveyer, means for maintaining the buckets in lateral projection from the vessel in the movement of the conveyer in a straight line, and trip-means at each end of the straight line of travel of said conveyer for respectively swinging said buckets into and out of lateral projection from said conveyer; one of said trip-means comprisin a pivoted spring pressed dog.

3. mproved means for propelhng vessels, comprising 'an endless conveyer dlsposedun part for travel in a straight line, a plurality of buckets pivotally connected with said conveyer, said conveyor being mounted in a chamber in the hull of the vessel opening laterally, guide means for said buckets in their path of travel including means maintaining said buckets in lateral rojection from the vessel I in the movement 0 the conveyer in a straight line, trip means at each end of the straight line of travel of said conveyer for respec- 1 GIUSEPPE GAYS.

Witnesses CAL- F. HUNTER, RAYMOND I. BLAKESLEE.

the reverse of thefor- I 

